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Huron County jobless rate is 5th worst in state

Huron County's jobless rate decreased to 11.6 percent in February, but its ranking among Ohio's 88 counties rose in that dubious category.

Of the estimated 25,700 people in the county's workforce, 3,000 are out of work, according to statistics released recently by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS).

That 11.6 percent figure is the fifth-worst in the state and the highest rate of any county north, east or west of Columbus. Only three southeast counties near the West Virginia border and Pike County in southwest Ohio had unemployment rates higher than Huron County last month.

In January, Huron County's jobless rate shot up to 12.4 percent in January, which ranked as the sixth-highest figure in the state. In December 2013, the county had the state's eighth-worst rate at 10.3 percent.

Still, the current jobless rate for Huron County is nearly two percentage points lower than February 2013, when the unemployment rate here was 13.5 percent.

Among the state's 88 counties, February 2014 unemployment rates ranged from a low of 4.3 percent in Mercer County to a high of 14.2 percent in Monroe County. Rates decreased in 86 counties and stayed even in two counties.

Four counties had unemployment rates at or above 12 percent in January. The counties with the highest rates, other than Monroe were: Meigs and Pike, 12.3 percent; and Morgan, 12.0 percent.

Ohio's unemployment rate was 6.5 percent in February 2014, down from 6.9 percent in January, according to the ODJFS. Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment decreased 4,600 over the month, from a revised 5,284,600 in January to 5,280,000 in February.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in February was 377,000, down 18,000 from 395,000 in January. The number of unemployed has decreased by 44,000 in the past 12 months from 421,000. The February unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 7.3 percent in February 2013.

The U.S. unemployment rate for February was 6.7 percent, up from 6.6 percent in January but down from 7.7 percent in February 2013.

Ohio's nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased 4,600 from a revised 5,284,600 in January to 5,280,000 in February, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics) in cooperation with ODJFS.

Goods-producing industries, at 871,200, lost 4,700 jobs. Losses in construction (-8,100) and mining and logging (-300) were partially offset by gains in manufacturing (+3,700). The private service-providing sector, at 3,655,500, increased 4,100. Job gains in educational and health services (+2,600), trade, transportation, and utilities (+2,400), professional and business services (+1,400), other services (+1,000), and information (+200) exceeded job losses in financial activities (-2,300) and leisure and hospitality (-1,200). Government, at 753,300, decreased 4,000 in local government (-3,400) and federal government (-600). State government employment was unchanged.

All data cited are produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor. Data sources include Current Population Survey (U.S. data); Current Employment Statistics Program (nonagricultural wage and salary employment data); and Local Area Unemployment Statistics Program (Ohio unemployment rates).

Comments

I hear that Norwalk's mayor is going to solve this by bringing in jobs, jobs, jobs.

mnmsmom

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 12:50am

He's the Mayor of Norwalk. NOT the Mayor of Huron County. Get a life! I'm sure when Jainesville and other companies left, the siting Norwalk's Mayor as the reason. Enough already.

hit the road jack

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 4:01am

Would you keep a business in a county or town where every day all you see or read on blogs like this is misery? let alone the drug problems,everyone knows work and a strung out employee doesn't mix and they're hard and expensive to sort out.
these corporations or companies are in business to do one thing,make the most money they can and the enviroment in which they operate is key to that so if they get a big tax break or find cheap labor its a no brainer for them.

Gdusty86

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 6:32am

There's nothing succeeding in Norwalk ,that's why I got out .The only thing thriving is Walmart .It seems any new ideas or businesses fold .The schools were good but that is out weighed by the massive heroine problem .

feedthetrolls

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 1:42pm

Moderators have removed this comment because it contained Off-topic comments.

truckin

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 6:39am

I will tell everyone right now, when added with those who Don't want a work and those who worked just enough to keep welfare off there rear and claim some earned income credit (cuz ya gotta work a little atleast to get it) the numbers would be much higher. But for the true one wanting to get ahead.

Ohio was filled with workers in the 50's & 60's from W.V and Ky. who moved for a better life for there families when the coal mines were slowing and auto was booming.
Now it's time for Ohioans to fill up some other states. I mean the south is booming. I drive to Houston frequently and it is just a smorgasbord for jobs. Big names too. Chevron, marathon, dow, Nissian, plus millions of other branched out food, energy companies, auto suppliers etc.. drive thru Alabama, ol'Miss. La. Nc, Sc. PICK ANY..
Honda, Toyota, names i never heard of, etc. BANNERS hanging for inside factory/warehouse/drivers work. They can't get enough workers. Heck when is the last time you've seen a help wanted sign in a restaurant window? I do..
With so many of local workers who headed to North Dakota and Pa. for even better paying jobs. Or go to Nd yourselves..And one would think these were low paying, but even the tank trk wash/washout boys start at $16 an hr.
Even though i do not need to move i am seriously considering it just to get somewhere where my kids could have choices, and live where there is so little unemployment, as to not get into the vacuum life of a bum (like around here) Plus warm weather.
Sure Norwalk had it's time for low skilled, medium wage jobs for the masses. It's gone, It stinks..Norwalk will still be here for you to visit.. but hey you only have you and yours to worry about!!!

BaileyOriginally

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 9:33am

You're right, jobs are out there. The thing is, these people adding to the statistic in the article don't want to work. They'd rather sleep 'til noon, go feed their kids fast-food, then watch TV all day, all the while crying that they can't find a job.

Dr. Information

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 9:46am

Spot on. Why work when you can sit at home and make the same off the government.

ThomasJefferson

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 9:15pm

I overheard someone just yesterday say he gets unemployment, and is not looking for anything else because he gets almost as much on unemployment as he would if he found another job. He would also lose other benefits he receives while unemployed. It used to be that you would still choose to work because it was the right thing to do, and you were proud to do it. Not anymore.

swiss family

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 10:14am

I agree... there should NOT be any "help wanted" adds in any of the local newspapers especially with such a high unemployment rate..If unemployment were to be stopped tomorrow, trust me, you would see the statistics for unemployment go way down.. People do not have jobs, because they choose to . and we are NOT doing them or us any favors by making that life style so easy ...

Gossipgirl

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 2:18pm

I currently have had the same full time job in Norwalk for over 10 years. With that being said I do not qualify for most of the jobs in the help wanted ads since I do not have a college education.

Whoopball

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 3:21pm

G'girl, Think positive and find out what it takes to get one of those better jobs. I got my degree when I was 42, had a good 20 year run in a new career and was able to retire a few years early. I read last week there are over 100,000 jobs available in Ohio. Employers just can't find candidates who have the training and can pass a drug test. If you can't find a job today, that's a you problem, not anyone else's. And you can fix that problem.

KURTje

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 12:04pm

Historically this county's biggest "thing" is Agriculture. Huron County's past & present is always high un-employment. Those that make their way successfully know what to do.

44846GWP

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 4:27pm

Very true, nothing new.

youvegotobekiddingme

Mon, 03/31/2014 - 7:24pm

They could get jobs on the produce farms in the Willard area. Of course, the complaint would be, you mean I would have to work with "those people"? How demeaning right? Throw on those rain pants &muck boots and dig in!!

Armymom7

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 12:33pm

If we counted all the drug dealers as "employed" we'd have one of the lowest rates in the state!!

I will say it again,if Mayor Duncan ran on the message he was going to bring jobs to Norwalk he was naive.
and if anybody else runs on that strategy they will be foolish and you should not believe them,they just can't do it.

believe it

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 5:56pm

There are seriously so many jobs available. Maybe they're not all $50,000 a year jobs or $20/hour jobs, but there are jobs. A lot of $10-12/hour jobs. Look at the papers and signs in front of businesses, there are places looking for workers. A lot of the people just don't want them or want to do them.

starryeyes83

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 6:50pm

Well, maybe a job interview isn't the place to wear pajama pants, flip-flops and bangles all the way up the arm.

What else? Oh, Talk or text on the phone, slouch in a chair, not making eye contact with the HR person.

Wear your hair stringy , dirty and hanging in your face.

Not pass a drug test, tell them that you won't work weekends and want a starting wage at $15 per hour, even though you have NO work experience.

It is all a part of the plan. NWO. Forced debt creation. Look it up. We will be buried so far in debt, especially the people taking loans on for higher education. Continuously devaluing dollar and foreign countries wanting to drop the dollar as the worlds currency. If we do not stop the worlds elite, everyone will owe these elite few. Wait and see.

propman

Sun, 03/30/2014 - 10:08pm

In this category Huron county is sinking right to the bottom of the barrel.

believe it

Wed, 04/02/2014 - 8:48am

MTD in Willard had an ad out through Spherion that they were looking for over 100 workers. Think about that for a second...over 100 jobs! It's so damn obvious that people just would rather sit on the government dollar instead of work.